ACLU accuses police of breaking law

Agencies allegedly violate regulations on misconduct
complaints

Thursday, June 04, 2009

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN

STATEHOUSE BUREAU

The majority of New Jersey's local police departments
routinely violate state law when handling civilian
complaints about police misconduct, according to an American
Civil Liberties Union report that will be released today.

Nearly 100,000 complaints -- ranging from improper
searches to excessive force -- were filed against New Jersey
police from 1996 to 2005, according to summary reports by
local agencies.

Deborah Jacobs, executive director of New Jersey's
ACLU chapter, said police lose the public's trust if
there isn't a fair process for airing grievances.

"Citizens need internal affairs to protect their
rights and their safety," she said.

According to the ACLU report, police agencies restrict
the process of accepting complaints, and county prosecutors
and the attorney general's office need to improve their
oversight of local departments.

Local agencies are required by law to comply with the
attorney general's policies on internal affairs
practices, issued in 1991 and last updated in 2000. ACLU
volunteers called 503 police departments -- including all
municipal, county, park and transit agencies -- earlier this
year and found many do not follow these policies, the report
said.

"We found significant evidence that the process for
citizen complaints against police officers in New Jersey is
broken," the report stated.

For example, 63 percent of local police agencies said
complaints must be submitted in person and 49 percent do not
accept anonymous complaints. Both contradict the attorney
general's guidelines.

Bound Brook police said anonymous complaints are
"not investigated at all," according to the
report. Bound Brook police Sgt. Richard Colombaroni last
night said the department follows the attorney
general's guidelines.

The report also noted 79 percent of agencies -- including
Palisades Park and Bloomfield -- said juveniles need an
adult to file a complaint, also a violation of the rules.

The ACLU said its review of 50 cases filed in the last 10 years in Salem, Monmouth, Hudson and Ocean counties found the person making the complaint was never interviewed by investigators....